After losing his mother to ovarian cancer 10 years ago, Millville High School first base coach Mike Edwards was one of unfortunately far too many people forced to deal with the pain caused by one of the world’s most deadly diseases.

Looking for a way to provide relief for those who have gone through or are experiencing similar distress, Edwards devised a plan to bring a baseball showcase to Millville designed to raise funds for the American Cancer Society. It’s safe to say Edwards has successfully accomplished his mission.

The third annual Millville High School Coaches vs. Cancer Classic will return to the newly named Mike Trout Field this year on April 26-27 and feature seven games over two days, including marquee matchups between some of South Jersey’s best programs.

The event has really taken off since its first year, when Millville managed to raise around $3,000 to donate to cancer research. In 2013, the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic reached $6,000 in donations. This year, the number already is double that amount.

“It’s pretty inspirational, really,” Edwards said. “Going through what my family experienced and seeing the hardships it can create for another individual’s family or friends, it’s just nice knowing we’re doing something to inspire them to beat cancer or honor those who are gone. Just to be able to make their lives a little better for a day and use baseball as a platform to do it, it’s rewarding.”

Support certainly is growing for the event.

As of Wednesday, Edwards reported the Coaches vs. Cancer classic had raised over $15,000 for the American Cancer Society.

“You hate to look at a dollar figure, but that’s what shows it’s a big deal to people,” Edwards said.

A ceremonial first pitch is thrown out before each game either in memory of a cancer victim or by a survivor, which always is a moving moment at the event.

“Seeing those people go out there and what it means to them, it gives you chills just talking about it,” Edwards said.

Sadly, more than one million people in the United States are diagnosed with cancer each year, according to the American Cancer Society. The Coaches vs. Cancer Classic has become a way for a variety of people, including the players, to do something to give back.

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“The players have a lot of fun out there, it’s still very competitive,” Edwards said. “They get that there’s a bigger picture though, which is the best part for me. I try to put myself in their shoes, in that 15-18 age range, and I don’t know if I was as aware as they are.

“For these kids, it rings home for a lot of them. To see how mature they are, it’s pretty neat. It’s pretty inspiring.”

To make a donation for the cause, either attend the event or visit www.tinyurl.com/coachesvscancer and locate Millville High School Coaches vs. Cancer in the top supporters section.

The schedule for the event is as follows:

April 26

Cherokee vs. Kingsway — 8:30 a.m.

Bridgeton vs. Schalick — 11 a.m.

Glassboro vs. Shawnee — 1:30 p.m.

Bishop Eustace vs. Mainland — 4 p.m.

April 27

Millville vs. Cherry Hill East — 11 a.m.

Atlantic City vs. Washington Township — 1:30 p.m.

St. Augustine vs. Gloucester Catholic — 4 p.m.

Colts on the rebound

After starting the season a shaky 0-3, Cumberland slowly has managed to climb its way back into contention.

It’s hard to fault the Colts for their rough opening to the 2014 campaign. Cumberland squared off against some tough competition in the form of Gloucester Catholic and Vineland, two teams with a combined record of 10-3 following play on Wednesday, and a decent team in Pitman that sat a game below .500 at 3-4 in that same time span.

The problem was quite evident to Colts second-year coach Sam Parks, who knew his team simply wasn’t hitting the ball well in the first week.

In those three losses, Cumberland averaged just 2.3 runs per game. Things have since changed for the Colts, who have won four of their last six contests to improve their record to 4-5.

“We’re hitting the ball better, the bats are definitely starting to come around,” Parks said. “It’s been a team effort. Every game it’s somebody different stepping up.”

There was no panic from Cumberland when the results weren’t there early.

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“I wasn’t concerned, those were three tough teams,” Parks added.

“We were pitching and playing defense well, we just weren’t hitting. I knew as soon as we got some of those hits to drop in, we’d be fine.”

In Cumberland’s 4-2 run since April 9, the team is averaging 5.8 runs per game, which has helped back the pitching staff’s 2.91 ERA.

Parks wasn’t kidding when he mentioned the offensive balance on his team.

Freddie Beck, Tyler Chiarello and Dominick Patitucci each have knocked in four runs, while Michael Foytik and Ryan Davis both have five RBIs. Davis owns a team-best .444 batting average for the Colts.

Rounding the bases

Buena junior Denny Brady has been dominant in his starts on the mound this season. The right-hander is 3-0 with 33 strikeouts, a performance that is highlighted by Brady’s fanning of 18 batters in a 3-2, eight inning win over Lower Cape May on April 8. ... Millville senior Kyle Cox is off to a blazing start at the plate so far. The hot-hitting senior owns a .588 batting average with 3 doubles, 2 home runs and five RBIs. ... Vineland still is waiting for its offense to kick into gear as the third week of season draws to a close. The Fighting Clan are hitting just .230 on the year, but Vineland’s pitching staff owns a 2.28 ERA — a big reason why the team was 5-1 as of Wednesday. Clan starting pitcher Johnny Malatesta is 2-1 on the year and has struck out 19 batters in 22 innings. Hunter Brelsford is swinging a hot back for Schalick early in the season. The sophomore outfielder owns a .500 average with four doubles, a homer and nine RBIs.

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